AirBnB! What is is and what does it even mean! We didn’t have a clue for a long time, was it staying in someones house or was it just a unique hotel? We decided to take the plunge when we couldn’t find any hotels or hostels for our stay in the tiny alpine village of Badia in South Tyrol in the Dolomites of Italy. We were a little apprehensive of what might greet us on our arrival after a 3 hours train and bus ride from Bolzano…but what we did find was a wonderful Alpine chalet we could only have dreamt of staying in, surrounded by mountains and with a wonderfully helpful host, we were sold on AirBnB!!

So what is it and what are my options?

Basically AirBnB is where you rent out a room, apartment or even an entire house from a host. Instead of just staying in the usual hotel or run of the mill hostel, with AirBnB you can find some of the most unique abodes in the world to lay your head. You might be in an igloo in the arctic or a tree house in the rockies, or you might just find a trendy rooftop apartment in the city or cosy and family friendly house in the suburbs!

With AirBnB you have a tonne of options. If you want you can just rent a room from your host and stay with them, this gives you the chance to get to know the area more like a local. But don’t let that put you off if you are more keen on your personal space, you can rent our entire apartments or houses. Of you could be in a private section of the same house as we were. The option are literally endless!

Booking:

Booking is really easy and simple but it is also a little different to what you might be used to on other accommodation websites. You can search according to your price constraints from high to low and the options come up on a handy map.

You can also check out what features your choice has, whether that be the internet, a pool or washing machine as well as details on exactly where you will be put up and pictures of the accommodation.

From here you have to “request a booking” ( There is also the odd property with a lightening symbol that can be booked straight away) this means that your host has to accept you to stay at their property. If you imagine that someone is going to be renting a room from you, you probably do want to check them out first!

But this is the same for choosing a host, you can check out reviews to see what other people made of the property and the host themselves. You will also have to submit a form of ID and other confirmations of identity (I used my facebook profile!)

Communication:

What is great about AirBnB is that you can message your host at any time to ask about anything you want. We asked our host Giuseppe about hiking in the area and advice about the weather conditions for climbing.

He was only too happy to get back to us and offer us advice. You can also let your host know where you will be travelling from and what time you will get there as you go. We also got great tips on how to make the somewhat complicated journey to his property.

What we loved about it!

Well firstly the location we found! We have always wanted to stay in a traditional alpine chalet and here was our chance. But instead of it being a really touristy version it felt authentic, complete with the hosts children playing in the garden as we played cards on the balcony over looking the mountains! The apartment itself was traditional and yet modern, was comfortable and in a stunning location we could never have even imagined! Finding such a unique place and for a great price was so much more of an experience than just being in yet another hostel or hotel.

Our host Giuseppe and his wife were also really helpful. It kind of feels like the benefits of Couchsurfing with the added benefit of privacy if you want it or also less awkwardness as you are a paying guest. We were picked up in his car from the main bus stop and driven up to the house, we could knock on their door at any time and ask about where is the best places to hike or where the shops are. We had access to a garden and could sit out on the terrace as the children played. It really did feel much more authentic and also much more of an added experience rather than just using your accommodation as a place to sleep!

We are most definitely sold on AirBnB after our first time! Staying in such unique and wonderful surroundings with wonderful hosts just seems to offer so much more than regular accommodation. We would also love in the future to try staying with someone in their house too (we do have our first couchsurfing gig coming up soon too) to try and interact even more with local culture and customs.

AirBnB is an easy and fun way to integrate more with the place in which you are visiting. Sometimes it can seem difficult or intimidating to find locals willing to show you around, but with AirBnb it comes with the territory…if you want it! But if not, you can just use it to find the most special and different accommodation out there!

Have a go yourself!

What are you waiting for!? Change your usual boring accommodation for a real experience and also find a great price too! If you click the link below you will get $25/ £17 off your first booking just to tempt you that little bit more!!

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Wow! You really lucked out. That place is modern and freaking huge! I bet you were cooking one of your vegetarian pasta dishes! 😉 I just visited some relatives in Melbourne (Florida) today who were staying at their first AirBNB experience and it was charming. Only $400 for the week and a hotel room in that area would easily be $200 per night. Will keep this code in case I ever use it.

Yeah we found a really special place! We didn’t have the entire house to ourselves but our apartment was a good size. Yeah you can get some discounts for monthly rates too which is great for staying a little longer. 🙂

Wow! With a backdrop like what you have in the photos, awesome! The good thing with Airbnb is you really get to immerse in the culture and get tips straight from the locals. Nothing makes the experience more genuine than that! 🙂

I stayed in an Airbnb once before, in a big house in Brooklyn with 6 other friends. It was trendy, the owner was very helpful, and it was great to be able to all stay in one place which we couldn’t have done in a hotel!

That sounds like great fun and really unique too. Yeah, really so much better than hotels!

Veronika

I am happy you liked your first Air BnB experience! The house looks amazing, so much better than any hotel! I am still waiting for my first time to try Air Bnb myself, so I will keep your tips in mind!

We have been using AirBnb for a couple of years and we love it! In some places we rent only a room and tend to socialize more with the host. (discovered delicious local eateries in Istanbul) And from time to time we rent an apartment just for ourselves to have that homey feeling. It’s good to unpack for a while and cook our own meals “at home” 🙂

I’ve been wondering about AirBnB for a while now, everyone seems to be doing it yet like you were, we’re a bit apprehensive. Does sound like it’s an amazing thing to do if you get it right. That chalet looks perfect! We’ll just have to bite the bullet!

To be honest as we had some couchsurfing later on this didn’t really seem all that daunting and you can easily get accommodation that is completely private too but pretty unique, or you can share someones house, its good because it gives you quite a few different options.

I have not been particularly adventurous in terms of accommodation – I mostly stay in Western hotel brands, but you did point out some interesting benefits of having a true local to ask questions of. I might try it out!

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We are Nic and Paul, The Roaming Renegades! A married couple who are quitting the 9-5 for a life of travel & adventure. We are leaving behind the "normal" way of living in which we are conditioned into giving away our best years for a retirement which may never happen. Live for today we say! Our travelling style is to see the world through alternative perspectives, getting off the beaten track, going on wild adventures and participating in some "Dark Tourism!"
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